Stephen Robinson: St Mirren deserve more credit for impressive league finishes

Stephen Robinson claims his St Mirren side have not been given enough credit for a third successive tilt at a top-six finish in the William Hill Premiership.

The Buddies finished fifth last season and sixth in the previous campaign and with two games before the split this year they are in seventh place, one point behind Hearts and ahead of Motherwell on goal difference.

The Paisley men face Dundee on Tayside this weekend, before hosting Ross County in their final pre-split game.

The Jambos are at home to Dundee United and away to Motherwell while the Steelmen are away to Kilmarnock before their game against Hearts.

Robinson, whose side hammered Killie 5-1 in Paisley last Saturday, said: “I personally don’t think the players have had enough credit for it.

“It’s now expected that St Mirren should be in the running for a top-six place and I read articles saying we should be.

“I’m not sure what that’s based on bar the quality of the players, the quality of the recruitment. So it’s credit to them.

“I’ve said it all along, in the running, a point off the top six and with a real chance again for three years in a row, is an incredible achievement.

“Players say to me, ‘oh, we never get the credit we deserve’.

“I’d say, ‘yeah, but that’s because it’s expected’. It’s not expected based on finances. It’s not expected based on 20,000 crowds or a millionaire investor.

“It’s based on the talent of the players, and I said, that’s the biggest compliment you can have when people expect you to be a top-six side.

“The stature of the football club has obviously grown and the playing staff deserve that credit and respect.

“And if we can finish this season off (top six), it would be a fantastic achievement.

“No matter what happens in the end it’s been a trying season, but it just shows the character of these players that they’re still in this position.”

Second-bottom Dundee let slip 2-0 and 3-1 leads over Rangers last Saturday to lose 4-3 to a last-gasp winner by Gers striker Cyriel Dessers.

However, Robinson does not expect that disappointment to affect Tony Docherty’s side.

He said: “No doubt they score a lot of goals. They’ve got real threats in the forward areas, Simon Murray has been an unbelievable signing for them.

“We have to be aware of the fast starts that they make but they also concede a lot of goals – so it will probably be a 0-0 after saying that.

“We’re aware of their threats. I expect them not to be too downhearted by the result.

“Obviously last-minute goals are hard to take but Dundee are a side who are a big, big threat.”